STATEMENT  OF  FACTS 


RESPECTING  THE 


NEW  YORK  AND  BOSTON 


Air  Xm  Railroad 

AND  ITS 

CONNECTIONS. 


AUGUST,  1864. 


BOSTON: 

PRESS  OF  GEO.  C.  RAND  & AYERY,  3 CORNHILL. 


UNIVERSITY  OF 
ILLINOIS  LIBRARY 
AT  URBANA-CHAMPAIGN 

oak  Street 


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/ 


STATEMENT  OF  FACTS 


RESPECTING  THE 


NEW  YORK  AND  BOSTON 


Air  Ike  JUtlroatl 

AND  ITS 

CONNECTIONS. 


-A.  TT  Gr  TT  S T , 1864. 


BOSTON: 

PRESS  OF  GEO.  C.  RAND  & AVERY,  3 CORNTIILL. 

1 8 6 4. 


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4 


STATEMENT  OF  FACTS 


RESPECTING  THE 

Dxfo  fork  artb  Boston  or  ^ir  fine  Jinilroak. 


The  origination  of  the  idea  of  building  a direct  railroad 
between  New  York  and  Boston  cannot  be  claimed  by  any  one 
person,  as  it  cannot  now  be  proved  who  was  the  ^irst  who 
talked  of  a direct  road  between  the  two  places.  The  pro- 
jectors of  the  first  railroads  in  New  England  did  not  dare 
propose  an  enterprise  of  such  magnitude ; it  was  enough  for 
them  to  establish  such  lines  as  the  Boston  and  Worcester,  the 
Boston  and  Providence,  the  Boston  and  Lowell,  and  the  East- 
ern Railroads.  The  North,  the  South,  the  East,  and  the 
West  were  thus  to  be  accommodated.  But  even  before  these 
projects  were  half  completed  it  was  talked  of  that  a direct 
line  from  Boston  towards  New  York  city  would  be  an  enter- 
prise of  more  commercial  value  than  either  of  them.  Much 
prejudice,  however,  was  excited  against  this  direct  line  as 
tending  to  concentrate  all  business  in  New  York  city.  Indeed, 
some  prejudice  was  made  even  against  constructing  the  Bos- 
ton and  Providence  Railroad,  as  having  the  same  tendency, 
the  progress  made  in  steamboat  transportation  being  such 
as  to  lead  many  to  believe  that  all  the  New  England  trade 
would  find  its  market  in  New  York  city.  However,  about 
the  years  1846  and  1847,  the  fever , if  such  it  can  be  called, 
reached  a crisis,  and  petitions  were  sent  into  the  Legislatures 
of  Massachusetts  and  Connecticut  for  charters  for  a through 
line.  In  Connecticut  the  charter  was  granted,  but  in  the 


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4 


States  of  Rhode  Island  and  Massachusetts  much  opposition 
was  excited,  and  in  Massachusetts  other  lines  were  projected, 
thus  endeavoring  to  supplant  the  true  line,  petitioned  for  by 
Otis  Pettee  and  others.  Although  charters  were  granted  in 
Connecticut  in  1846  and  in  1849,  and  in  Rhode  Island  in  1850, 
it  was  not  till  1855  that  the  Massachusetts  Legislature  com- 
pleted the  legislation,  and  authorized  the  union  of  the  whole 
line  as  first  projected.  This  union  was  completed  in  the  fall 
of  1855,  and  the  whole  line  from  Boston  to  New  Haven  be- 
came united  under  one  board  of  directors.  The  New  York 
and  New  Haven  road  having  at  this  time  been  constructed 
by  a separate  corporation. 

The  route  of  the  road  from  New  Haven  towards  Boston  has 
been  laid  out  and  selected  with  direct  reference  to  securing  the 
largest  amount  of  the  local  business  that  may  exist  within  such 
limits  as  loill  not  sacrifice  directness  to  accommodate  it.  The 
city  of  Middletown,  the  centre  of  a large  manufacturing  in- 
terest and  trade,  is  very  near  a true  straight  line  between 
New  Haven  and  Boston,  and  will  afford  a large  amount  of 
business  both  ways  to  this- line.  Willimantic,  a large  manu- 
facturing place,  is  almost  on  an  air  line  drawn  between  New 
York  and  Boston ; it  concentrates  the  business  of  two  lines 
of  railroad  already  constructed,  the  New  London  and 
Palmer  and  the  Hartford  and  Providence  roads,  both  of 
which  must  be  considered  as  branches  to  the  New  York  and 
Boston  road.  In  locating  the  route,  as  we  approach  the 
valley  of  the  Quinebaug  River  and  the  Norwich  and  Wor- 
cester Railroad,  we  have  in  view  two  objects  : First,  to  ap- 
proach as  near  as  possible  to  the  manufacturing  population, 
and  also  to  cut  the  Norwich  and  Worcester  road  as  far  south 
as  practicable  (not  to  increase  distance)  so  as  to  secure  as 
much  business  as  possible,  at  the  same  time  to  not  lose  the 
business  that  may  come  do wii  the  Norwich  and  Worcester 
Railroad  from  Worcester  and  all  the  country  north,  even  to 
the  northern  part  of  New  Hampshire.  A connection  with  the 
Norwich  road  at  or  fieair  Daysville  is  of  very  great  impor- 
tance, as  by  it  we  shorteii  the:  distance  to  Boston  for  their 
steamboat  train,  and  indeed  for  all  the  local  travel  from  Nor- 
wich and  New  London  und  other  places  towards  Boston  about 


5 


fifteen  miles.  Also,  for  all  travel  from  the  North  which 
may  wish  to  go  to  New  York  by  rail,  we  shorten  the  distance 
between^nine  or  ten  miles,  thus  restoring  more  to  the  npper 
part  of  the  Norwich  and  Worcester  road  than  we  send  off 
towards  Boston  from  the  lower  part.  The  Five  Mile  River 
Factories  are  accommodated  directly.  Also,  the  best  manu- 
facturing region  in  Rhode  Island,  the  Pascoag  Yalley  and 
Woonsocket  Factories.  Woonsocket  is  a perfect  nest  of  fac- 
tories, the  largest,  lately  built  by  Edward  Harris,  Esq.,  is  close 
t'o  the  line  of  railroad,  and  will  give  a large  amount  of  busi- 
ness. Lastly,  the  location,  after  much  investigation  and  pa- 
tient thought,  has  been  decided  to  pass  on  the  west  side  of 
Boston  (approaching  as  near  as  possible  to  Brighton  Market), 
to  connect  with  the  stations  of  the  railroads  which  radiate 
towards  the  north  side  of  the  city  proper.  These  connections 
cannot  be  overestimated  as  securing  all  the  travel  to  this  line 
which  may  be  furnished  by  the  immense  manufacturing 
towns  of  Lowell,  Lawrence,  Dover,  Great  Falls,  Salem,  Lynn, 
and  all  the  large  towns  in  the  vicinity  of  the  railroads  in 
question.  In  projecting  long  lines  $f  communication,  it  is  de- 
sirable always  to  so  locate  the  line  as  to  connect  with  lines  in 
continuation  beyond  the  terminus,  and  large  sums  of  money 
have  been  expended  to  accomplish  connections  when  such 
have  not  been  affected  in  the  original  location.  Time  and  ex- 
pense have  been  saved,  and  travel  increased,  in  making  con- 
nections through  and  through.  Connected  lines  have  a vast 
advantage  over  any  competing  line  which  has  no  such  con- 
nections. In  locating  a New  York  and  Boston  railroad,  as 
the  last  improved  line  of  communication,  a fatal  error  would 
be  committed  were  these  Eastern  and  Northern  connections 
overlooked  or  neglected.  The  importance  of  a location  to  the 
northerly  side  of  Boston  is  further  illustrated  from  the  fact 
that  the  Fitchburg  Railroad,  which,  with  its  connections,  will 
ultimately  form  one  of  the  t^riricipal  lines  to  and  from  the 
West,  has  its  station  in  the  immediate  vicinity.  Thus  the  West, 
Northwest,  North,  Northeast,  and, '“with  the  New  York  and  Bos- 
ton Railroad  the  Southwestern  travel  will  all  be  accommodated 
at  nearly  the  same  station,  and  thus  a locality  will  be  formed 
where  parties  from  all  parts  of  the  country  can  concentrate 


6 


mutually  to  the  advantage  of  business  or  pleasure  travel,  and 
also  for  the  benefit  of  the  railroads  which  concentrate  there. 
The  advantages  to  the  connecting  roads  at  the  terminus  of 
so  important  a line  cannot  be  easily  estimated,  but  all  * who  are 
at  all  acquainted  with  the  annoyances  of  a break  in  a long  line 
will  appreciate  the  statement  that  through  travel  and  trans- 
portation will  always  take  those  lines  which  are  in  connection 
with  each  other. 

The  New  York  and  Boston  Railroad  is  to  be  viewed  as  not 
only  a connection  between  the  two  cities,  but  as  forming  a 
link  in  a grand  chain  of  railroads  extending  far  beyond  their 
limits.  Whatever  improvement  can  be  made  in  the  passage 
between  New  York  and  Boston  becomes  of  great  interest  to 
the  roads  immediately  eastward  and  northward  of  Boston,  and 
westward  and  southward  of  New  York.  Thus,  incidentally, 
it  becomes  of  importance  to  all  other  links  in  the  chain,  to 
favor  the  construction  of  this  railroad.  The  roads  near 
Boston  most  directly  interested  are  the  Boston  and  Maine, 
the  Lowell,  and  the  Eastern  Railroads,  with  others  which  may 
be  in  extension  of  them ; near  New  York  we  have  the  New 
York  and  New  Haven,  and  the  Erie  Railroads,  with  which  we 
shall  form  one  of  the  most  important  lines  between  Boston 
and  the  Lakes  ; also,  the  New  Jersey  railroads,  forming  lines 
to  Philadelphia  and  the  interior  of  Pennsylvania.  The  aggre- 
gate cost  of  the  roads  thus  immediately  connected  with  the 
interests  of  the  “Air  Line77  improvement  is  upwards  of  sixty 
millions  of  dollars.  The  holders  of  this  large  amount  of 
investments  will  undoubtedly  advocate  the  early  completion 
of  the  New  York  and  Boston  Railroad  as  tending  to  increase 
the  whole  amount  of  travel,  and  thereby  to  add  to  the  value 
of  their  property. 

The  line  by  way  of  Worcester,  Springfield,  and  Hartford  to 
New  Haven  is  known  to  accommodate  a very  large  amount  of 
local  business;  but,  large  as  it  is,  it  is  in  some  particulars 
exceeded  in  amount  by  the  business  to  be  accommodated  by 
the  “Air  Line77  or  New  York  and  Boston  Railroad.  It  is  sup- 
posed that  through  railroad  lines,  like  those  in  question,  will 
secure  between  their  termini  the  business  within  five  miles 
at  least  of  their  lines.  In  order  to  compare  these  two,  the 


7 


census  tables  of  1850  were  carefully  examined  and  the  statis- 
tics of  towns  within  five  miles  of  either  line  were  summed  up 
with  the  following  result : — 


Springfield  Line.  N.  Y.  and  B.  Line. 


Length  in  miles 

. . . 160 

135 

Whole  population 

. . 395,629 

349,915 

Population  per  mile 

. . 2,473 

2,592 

Capital  in  business 

. $28,629,783 

$27,429,703 

Capital  per  mile 

$178,936 

$203,183 

Raw  material  consumed  per  annum 

. $39,273,769 

$33,793,638 

Raw  material  consumed  per  mile  per 

an.  $245,461 

$250,323 

Manufactures  per  annum  . . . 

. $66,097,524 

$55,100,171 

Manufactures  per  mile  per  annum  . 

$413,109 

$408,149 

Real  and  personal  estate  .... 

. $326,489,502 

$303,644,611 

Real  and  personal  estate  per  mile  . 

$2,040,559 

$2,249,219 

In  this  table  the  valuations  for  Boston  and  New  Haven  are 
included  in  both  of  the  columns.  The  results  show  conclu- 
sively that  the  density  of  population  and  business  is  greatest 
upon  the  New  York  and  Boston  or  “Air  Line”  route. 

At  the  present  time  (1864)  the  New  York  and  Boston  Rail- 
road stands  with  a complete  charter  from  the  stations  on  the 
north  side  of  Boston  to  the  city  of  New  Haven  (to  connect 
with  the  New  York  and  New  Haven  Railroad),  a line  of  about 
135  miles  in  length.  It  is  in  operation  betwen  Boston  and 
Woonsocket  about  37i  miles,  3|  of  which  are  over  the  Bos- 
ton and  Worcester  Railroad  to  the  station  house  of  that 
company.  The  part  of  the  line  to  the  terminus  on  Causeway 
Street,  near  the  Boston  and  Maine  and  Eastern  Railroads,  will 
be  soon  worked,  and  thus  the  road  be  rendered  independent 
of  tribute  to  the  Boston  and  Worcester  Railroad.  About 
eight  miles  of  road  west  of  Woonsocket,  in  the  State  of 
Rhode  Island,  were  worked  in  1853-4,  for  which,  with  engi- 
neering expenses,  land  damages,  etc.,  about  $200,000  were 
expended.  At  the  same  time,  also, ' and  for  similar  items, 
about  $260,000  Were  expended  in  Connecticut  on  the  part  of 
the  road  extending  nine  miles  west 'of  Middletown.  These 
items,  with  the  expenditure*  in  Massachusetts  of  about 
$1,100,(500,  make  a total  amount  of  $1,560,000  expended  upon 
the  whole  line. 


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